A New Beginning
by gladiolii
Summary: Hitomi returns to an almost perfect Gaea. Adversity hides behind the most unchecked corners. My first fanfic with actual chapters (cheerio!) ^-^
1. Prologue

Hi! This is my first fanfic on Escaflowne, ever, because I just finished watching the series…people on this site who didn't finish watching, there may be a few spoilers, so if you don't wanna know, stop right there! Personally, I like spoilers, cuz it prepares me for stuff I don't expect. I don't like disclaiming every single chapter I write, so may I be lazy and write it all here. ESCAFLOWNE DOESN'T BELONG TO ME, SO DON'T SUE ME!!! There, that wasn't so hard. ^_^ I hope you enjoy this, and even if you don't, leave something so I can change whatever's wrong with it. I wrote the prologue after I wrote the chapters, so it might not make sense, but you gotta tell me!!! I need help w/ this thingy, ppl! Flaming always welcome, and if you don't get it, be very welcome to email me or IM me. NOTE: 'Duy' is just my word for 'duh'…don't you think it sounds a lot better than using 'duh'? Oh, and btw, 'matte' is the Jap word for 'wait' if you guys don't know yet…I think most of you know that by now already, right? Yup, most of you anime cravers should know that. So enjoy and tell me if I should proceed with this. I agree, not a very special fanfic; after all, many ppl wrote Esca continuations, cuz it got cut off with such a cliffhanger. But tell me what you think altogether, alright? Enjoy!

--Kit *aka* KuteMissKitty

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A New Beginning - Prologue

"Hitomi! Matte!" Yukari waved her hand while running up to Hitomi to try to catch her attention. "Are you going to track today?" Yukari finally ran up to Hitomi and stopped her.

Hitomi sighed. "I might, but I need to do something first. Have you seen Amano-sempai?"

"Yeah, he's gonna take a plane to England this weekend…" Yukari looked down. Hitomi knew she didn't love Amano now…_because Amano wasn't him_. Yukari had loved Amano, ever since the beginning. It was so obvious. _Was I the only one who didn't know?_

"Yukari…" Hitomi hesitated before continuing, knowing that Yukari might refuse. "…umm…can you come with me to see Amano-sempai today?"

"What, I'm not gonna interrupt anything?" she teased. After a moment's awkward silence, she forced a smile, and Hitomi noticed her uneasiness. Finally, Yukari sighed and replied, "Fine, I'll come along." For the first time in a few days, Hitomi smiled and put a casual arm around her shoulder. "We need to get going. Amano has been waiting, I'll bet." _They loved each other_, Hitomi thought.

Hitomi smiled, and slowly walked with Yukari to the bus stop. She overlooked the shore nearby, and saw an image of her forbidden lover, and she smiled. _He'll always be with me_. She broke out of her trance when two lovers in each other's embrace walked past in front of her, talking and laughing. Would Van and her have ended up like that if they were still together? Van's embrace--she'd give anything to have that again.

"Are you okay?" Her friend waved her hand in front of her face to see if she was still alive. "Gosh, you're not _that_ desperate to see Amano, are you?"

"Oh look who's talking." She laughed and said, "You call him _Amano_ now?"

A wave of dark pink came over Yukari's face. "Are you jealous?" Hitomi got a little uneasy, just thinking she was the extra one. "Gosh, you sound like those ditsy girls at school. Where do you think Amano-sempai is now? Do you even…say…_know_ where we're going?"

"His place. Duy." Yukari answered.

"Oh, and new advancement. You know where his place is. Don't I find _that_ surprising." She jokingly narrowed her eyes.

Yukari sighed. "No, seriously now, he stayed for a few more months 'cause he was searching for _you_. We don't know what happened to you, so your mother told us you might call home. We stayed at your place for a few days, after going to his and my place together to ask for permission from our parents, and you didn't come back." Yukari's expression saddened. "For a while we thought you had died."

Hitomi tried to make her argument sound optimistic. "I may not be able to run the 13 second record, but I don't think life can be over that easily. There are still so many people I can't let go of yet." Once again, Van came to her mind. Van…his rare smile…strong embrace…everything up to his short temper. She hugged her friend as her voice failed her, and Yukari thought it odd that she's crying because she remembers living. Huh. A few people nearby gave them a short glance. "You don't understand…you'll know once we get to his house."

__

Oh, but I do. The way Amano looks at you... My pathetic self to have false hopes in the first place. No one but only myself to blame. I've always been the uglier one, the weaker one, the... My God, you're my friend. How could I have such thoughts in the first place? Amano and you are the destined pair...

The bus arrived in time for Hitomi to drag Yukari from her daydreaming place. "Come on!" rushed Hitomi. They paid their fare, and both of them found a seat, surprisingly. Hitomi stared out the window, seemingly looking into space. _The highway has a nice view of the ocean_, Hitomi thought. The ocean of Gaea had a scent like this one too. _Before I came back, I always thought about the ocean of Gaea, so similar to the ocean of Earth, but now, I seem to think about it from the opposite point of view._ Hitomi laughed inwardly at the irony of it all. _Damn I'm pathetic. Thinking about it too much._

"What are you smiling about?" Yukari asked.

"Nothing."

"Oh, really?"

"Really, nothing." _Excuse, excuse…umm…_"It's just…look at the ocean."

"Yeah, I know!" She laughed. A smirk painted on her face. "We pass by here every day, and you never seem to have admired it at all." Nothing but silence. It has been awkward between her and her best friend ever since Hitomi has returned, oddly. Something must've happened to her. Amano and Yukari had suspected it might've been rape… Yukari sighed and propped her chin on her elbows. "But I suppose if you look closer, you kinda see the beauty of it."

__

Beauty. . .really? There are many things much more beautiful on Gaea. Van's wings, for example… She saw a white feather on the seat next to hers, and hesitated before reaching for it. Slowly, she drew her hand closer and closer to the feather. She had contact with it, making sure it wouldn't disappear like it did before. Then she picked it up.

"What's that?" asked Yukari in curiosity.

"It's nothing. I found it outside in the park this morning." More excuses. "It's a white dove's feather, for peace."

"There's doves around here? I have to concentrate on Tokyo more…more animals are migrating here!" she joked.

"Pigeon, dove, doesn't make a difference. Where is Amano's place anyway? Where do we get off?"

"It's just one stop past the school. We're almost there." Yukari answered.

Hitomi sighed in sadness and closed her eyes. No more visions now. Her adventure had ended. A nightmare that began and ended a fairy tale. And what of the princess now?

And at that last sigh she laid back in her seat, as sleep roamed her mind.

*****

"Hitomi, wake up!" Hitomi mumbled under her breath and turned slightly. "Wake up, sleepyhead! We're there!" Hitomi popped up suddenly, and whispered an 'ow' when the light stung her eyes, attempting to block it with her arm. She rubbed her eyes, waited for it to adjust to the light, and noticed a few people staring at her with odd looks. _And #2 of Earth's rules, never to attract too much attention. _She looked down in embarrassment, and Yukari immediately apologized to the bus driver and dragged Hitomi along.

"Where are we?" Hitomi asked.

"Gee, what kind of memory do _you _have? We were on our way to Amano's place, remember?"

"Oh yeah…" Yukari smacked her on the head playfully, and laughed when Hitomi narrowed her eyes.

"You look like our science teacher when you do that," the long-haired girl commented.

"Oh yeah? What about this?" She smacked Yukari back. She blocked. Hitomi said, "Okay, seriously now, how long do we have to walk?"

"Just two blocks or so," came the reply. Hitomi looked ahead, and those two blocks seem forever to her. "Aww man," she muttered.

Hitomi saw a smug look on the other girl's face. "It's _two_ blocks. Heh, track spirit alright."

"Oh, shut _up_…" Hitomi smiled at her friend and continued, "let's go already."

*****

Pressed bell once, pressed bell twice. _Turn the stupid knob!_ Finally, the door creaked open, and a woman of her mid-thirties, precisely Amano's mother, opened the door. "Oh, Yukari!" She turned toward Hitomi and said, "And who might this be?" She said as she looked towards Hitomi and smiled. "Hitomi Kanzaki. Nice to meet you." At that last greeting, Hitomi bowed to show her respect.

"Oh, so you're the Hitomi Amano has been talking about! Come in!" She motioned for them to follow her, and waited for them to enter before closing the door. A semi-deep male voice coming from above the first floor yelled to the woman. "Who is it, Mom?"

"Amano, come down! Your friends are here!" She turned to the girls and asked, smiling, "Drinks? Anyone? Don't be shy, make yourself at home."

Hitomi and Yukari smiled and Yukari said "Sure, thanks."

Footsteps were heard coming down the stairs. "Hitomi!" He saw Yukari and his mother standing behind her, and yelled out, "Yukari! What are you guys doing here?"

"Well…" Yukari said. There was a moment of silence, and no one knew what to do.

Amano walked forward, feeling a bit awkward. "Well…come on up, I was just watching something." He started walking back up the stairs, and both girls followed him. He stopped on the last step and turned toward a room at the end of the hallway. "Come on in!" He motioned for them to follow. "Why did you guys come all the way here to see me? Is it important?"

"Not really…and it's not 'all the way'…we only had to walk _a few blocks_…" Yukari answered, narrowing her eyes at Hitomi.

"Actually, may I have a talk with you?" Amano said after a pause as he looked at Hitomi. Knowing what was to come, Hitomi followed him into his another room what appears seemingly as his study. _Wow, rich guy._

"Hitomi, I haven't seen you in a few days, and you know I'm leaving soon…about that night at the track field…" Amano trailed off, searching for words to finish his sentence.

"That's right, I was gonna come talk to you about this. I'm sorry about the other night, I had crazy feelings going on…I—"

"Hitomi, I know what you're going to say."

"You do?"

"Let me guess." His mouth inched closer and closer…she could feel his breath on her face. Pushing him away, she said, "No, Amano, it's…not that. Actually, it _is_ that, but not what you think."

__

The let-me-get-this-straight tone doesn't sound very good. "Well…w-what do you mean?"

Hitomi placed her hand on her forehead, sighed in stress, and tried to think of an easier way to respond. _Okay, calm down, Hitomi_…she thought. "I meant…" She voice trailed off in search of a correct answer, if there is one at all. _It's even harder looking him in the eye._ She decided not to. "I made a mistake. A _huge_…mistake. After a little silence…I realized that Yukari was the one who had feelings for you. I had always been the one in the way. I…didn't actually like you. I'm sorry I confused you so much."

His mouth opened to speak, but no words really came out. He ran his hands through his hair. "W-wow…oh my God, I feel like such an…idiot…" 

"Okay, don't. In fact, _I_ feel like an idiot. That asking for kiss thing was…I canNOT believe I did that."

"Well, I guess we're on the same boat." He nervously chuckled. Heh, attempt at humor failed. "But to tell you the truth, I actually kinda liked you."

Hitomi sighed. Okay, just spit it out. "You know…Yukari liked you, right? I mean, uhh, _likes_, not _liked_. She loved you ever since the beginning."

"Is this what this is all about? Yukari?"

"You don't get what I mean. I _know_ you like her. It's too obvious. And don't even ask me why, you know it too. Now that I'm giving you a perfectly good chance, why don't you take it?" She turned to leave.

He didn't bother stopping her.

A confused Yukari stared as Hitomi ran down the street.

When she was out of sight, she looked back at the house that stored her two best friends. _Another pair of lovers. Worth feeling happy about, it was her work. But…_

"I'm the only one alone."


	2. Chapter 1

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A New Beginning - Chapter 1

Hitomi sat staring at her window at her desk late that night. Her memories in Gaea—she had missed it all so much. She knew that she would, but the question remaining is whether she could let it go. Especially Van.

"Van…" She said absentmindedly, looking at the moon. She wanted to bear his happiness, bear his pain. It was so impossible and different back on Earth. She had realized that once she returned to Earth, what made her who she was, the most happy moments in her life, was probably spent on Gaea, even though she lived in fear and loneliness. Sometimes pain can be happiness too. 

__

Quite ironic, I spent most of the years in my life here. How much is that now? 15. Only 15.

All she could hope for now is that Van is happy with Merle, and her memory will never falter, just as much as she'd hoped to store them together forever in a cage inside her own mind. So unlike her Grandmother's visit. Fate--what is fate? If the fate-altering machine was defeated by the love between Van and Hitomi, why didn't fate mean for her to stay in Gaea? Fate. Fate is destiny. And then, what is destiny?

"I can change destiny."

In her hand was an angel's feather, maybe just about the only proof that Gaea was not a dream—not just any feather, but _his_ feather. _Maybe in Van's hand at the very same moment is my necklace, and maybe he's feeling the same way about me. Hey, a girl can dream. _But she was wondering about that fact herself. _Will_ he still remember her? It's not fair, just the way they chose it to be, whoever they are. Why? Why can't she have been simply the princess of the fairy tales? The prince returns Cinderella her glass slipper? The handsome prince marries a mermaid of a warring kingdom? _Too much thinking._ She fell asleep under the moonlight through her shades, and the invisible planet Gaea's watch…

*****

Hitomi woke with a start, and looked around at the mass of pitch-black darkness. _Boy doesn't this feel familiar._

"Another vision? Can't be…" Confusion etched her face.

"Why not?" replied a young familiar voice behind her.

She spun around quickly to see who had sneaked up on her. It was, surprisingly, her Grandmother, dressed in the same kimono, and the small windmill in her hands. "This dream has a purpose."

"Yeah, you mind telling me?"

"Hitomi, this dream won't last long. I don't have much time. Do you or do you not believe that the threads of fate cannot be altered simply because they are woven ahead of time, or can it be changed?" the young voice said. Kinda funny, having a kid's voice tell you philosophy. And teaching you something. Heh.

A moment of silence passed by. "Well…no…I had altered fate before…" Hitomi quietly responded.

"Then tell me, dear: do you not want to see Gaea?" _And the kid calls me "dear"._

"Listen, you and I both know the answer to that—"

Her Grandma cut her off. "But why do you still remain on Earth? Why did you come back? I had come back, and I do truly not regret it. I married your Grandfather, because I love him. But if you believe you love Van Fanel, why not follow your instincts? You will regret some day…"

"Maybe I already have. I don't know. Can you answer _my_ questions? Why did I come back? Because fate made me come back. Fate is the one to blame."

"No. You're pushing away your responsibility, and making up excuses, though I don't know why. Fate is not the one to blame. _You_ are the one to blame, for ever letting him go."

"Then how? How do I go back? I can't go back without the Energist…or the pendant that you gave me for that matter! Those were the main items in tranfer!" Hitomi brought her hands to her forehead in frustration.

"It is not the pendant that brought you to Gaea. Destiny awaits upon your door…all you have to do is turn the knob." And as the girl's voice fainted, her body faded along with it into the darkness, leaving Hitomi alone once again in the darkness.

"How? Answer my question! No, don't leave! Don't leave me!"

*****

"DON'T LEAVE ME!!!" Hitomi woke screaming. The sparrows were already singing their morning song outside. The rays of sunlight shone through the window, and that was when she realized that she had fallen asleep on her desk all night long, and hadn't done any homework at all. 

"Shoot, I'm late!" She quickly washed up, changed, and grabbed her bag, dashing out the door without even saying bye to her parents or eating. By the time she had gotten to school, classes had already begun. She burst into the door gasping for air, and her feet were wobbly from running. The class stared at her, some muffled giggles were heard, and she quickly sat down next to Yukari. "Late? Let me guess, Ms. Kanzaki. You had a blackout last night, so that your alarm clock didn't work. Your dog ate your homework in his hungry struggle for food in the darkness. You feel like you have a headache all of a sudden, and you feel like going to the nurse, am I right? So therefore you won't be taking the test?"

The class burst into laughter. Out of quick acting without a moment of common sense, she picked up her bag and stomped out of the room. _Screw this load of crap. _No one made much of a comment.

*****

__

It's different, very different. The pain on Earth causes serious pain…whilst the pain on Gaea causes happiness. Is it because he is on Gaea? She was right. Why was I stupid enough to let go of my only chance of love? Hitomi sat on the sidewalk, feeling sorry for herself. The bell inside the school rang and all the students rushed out of the school. Noticing two pairs of legs standing by her side, she looked up to find Yukari and Amano looking down at her, holding hands. Even they were a couple! _I'm the only one alone_. It seemed like those who meant well actually meant to laugh at her. _Everyone has someone_, she thought. _Maybe my someone…_

"I heard what happened," Amano said, "and it's not that big a deal, happens all the time. You have no idea how many times I've skipped."

"I didn't."

"I know it's hard for you to see the class laughing at you, but it'll be over in a day. Everyone will have forgotten about it already, trust me." Yukari smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. Obviously not working.

"Thanks for trying, but that was not what I was actually thinking about." She sighed. "I really need some time alone to think things out, and—" She nodded towards their hands, and forced a smile. "…I see you guys have taken my advice." Yukari stared confused at the both of her friends, and they merely smiled. There was an awkward pause, and for a moment no one knew what to say. Finally Hitomi stood up and started walking away.

"Hitomi!" _They really do make a good pair_, thought Hitomi, chuckling inwardly to herself. They even react at the same time.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. I'll see you guys tomorrow." She waved a hand to tell them to back off, and they took a clue. The young couple stood there staring as the image of their friend disappearing down the horizon of the road as other students buzzed around them in activity. They turned their heads to look at each other and smiled. After a kiss, they bid their farewells to their other classmates, and walked off together. The sun set and the traffic outside the school calmed.

*****

She came home and fell straight to sleep, and this night there was no dream. She didn't care to do anything either. Her parents also respected her feelings after her unknown disappearance. Hitomi never wanted to tell them, never told anyone what happened. It had been a secret that she had decided to keep and remember for life.

She wasn't disturbed until her phone rang. With a sleepy mumble, she elbowed up a little and read the clock. 7:19.

With a groan, she sat up to pick up the phone.

"Hello?" Clearing her throat, she tried again. "Who is it?" she said in a sleepy, still cracked voice.

There was silence on the other end. "Hello?" Rub eyes. "Hello? Anyone there?" she cried into the phone, mad at the same time for it disturbing her sleep. Finally, a few sobs could be heard.

Hitomi jumped to alertness. "Hello?" She waited for a response, but there was none, and tried again. "Who is this?" She asked in a softer tone. "What's wrong?"

Finally, after a few more sobs, a soggy and cracked voice said, "It's Sakura. I'm calling from the hospital."

__

Hospital?…something happened. I have to be the cause of it.

The speaker continued talking. "Yukari had just suffered from a car accident." She almost fell of her bed.

__

Oh…my God…I have to be dreaming again… She felt like screaming. The whole world was caving in.

Suddenly, Hitomi found herself also sobbing. "What happened? How could she have suffered from a car accident? Her mom is still at work, and her mom has the frickin car! How could she have been in a car?"

"It was Amano's car. After they walked back to his place, they decided to come to your place." Sob, sob. "I don't know, but…"

"But WHAT?" Hitomi screamed to the phone in anger. She should've been there. She should've. And she could've. But wasn't.

"Just come here! Yukari's in a coma, and Amano is in surgery. Hurry!"

The phone hung dead. The flat tone of the phone didn't exactly sound pleasantly comforting at the moment.

*****

After she had come back from the hospital, she looked downtrodden. She was so tired no tears come when she summons them. No emotion hit her but defeat by fate and anger at herself. She had lost everything. First Van, and now Yukari and Amano…

Thinking of these things, she fell into her pillow, squeezing the soft fabric as hard as possible, as if it were the pillow's fault. _Why do you have to take away everything I have? Correction, not everything I have. Everything I value! What the fuck is this gay shit? I don't give a shit what happens anymore!_

"I don't give a shit, you hear me?" She threw the pillow to the far end of the room. "I DON'T!"

She fell asleep lying on her stomach while trying to cry.

*****

"Another dream?"

"Yes."

"Who's there?"

"Look for yourself."

Hitomi squinted at the figure in white. "You're…Van's…you're Varie Fanel, aren't you?"

"Smart girl."

"What is this about? No more! I don't want any more visions!"

A smile hit the white cloaked figure's face. "Oh, you don't?"

Once again, Hitomi was defeated. She broke down and sobbed in the darkness. "Shut up, please…" she begged the lady. She covered her ears, shaking her head slowly. "I don't wanna know…I don't wanna hear…"

"Van's missed you…"

That sentence seemed to make Hitomi even sadder rather than happy. Something that isn't meant to be cannot be. She sobbed even harder, and started wailing and taking deeper breathes, her sorrow hitting her square in the face.

"Your anxiety is causing bad things to happen. It is your fault that they got in that accident. You left Gaea to save Gaea from destruction, from you, but you didn't ever think that the same thing would happen to Earth, did you?"

"No…" She said between sobs. "No…it's not…it's not me."

"Your anxiety in Gaea caused great destruction, but the pain from leaving my son has caused the world pain. I am only speaking the truth, and it is up to you what to do. Only you…" The figure materialized, leaving Hitomi along, still sobbing.

"…can't be…" Hitomi opened her eyes slowly. Her face itched from dried layers of tears glued to her skin. So she did cry after all. She didn't bother getting up for school. She didn't care about school. Not anymore.

*****

Again, like every other night, Hitomi sits at her table, motionless and paralyzed in thought, staring at the feather. _I must try hard to go back to Gaea. I must, for everyone's sake_. The words danced in her head. "It is your fault the world suffers…" 

"But how?" said Hitomi. _Maybe there is no hope between Van and her after all._ Suddenly, Hitomi stood up. _Hope! The Atlanteans used hope!_ She rejoiced in joy for a second, and another problem arose. _But the Atlanteans did it with the pendant, and Van has my pendant…_ But if Van has her pendant, and she has Van's feather, then…damn I'm good! The Atlanteans had used the power of wishes in their hearts! And now she has to make the final decision, Earth, or going back to Van. _Staying on Earth will cause suffering._ "Amano-sempai, Yukari, I hope you're gonna be okay after I'm gone. Mom, forgive me." She grasped the feather and closed her eyes, repeating in her mind that she wants to belong in Gaea again. Nothing. _Damn!—_ A blue flash of light appeared, and she yelped at the unexpected event. She realized what was happening, and closed her eyes, smiled. "Here I come…" she whispered. She clenched the feather, and steadied herself. "Van…I'm coming…"


	3. Chapter 2

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A New Beginning - Chapter 2

Van sat in his throne, listening to official country matters. Merle knelt next to him, waiting for the court meeting to end so they could go out. He was bored as usual, and tried hard to keep his mind on the matters at hand.

"Sir," a young boy in metal-clad armor said, "are you alright? You look a bit dazed. I've been talking for quite a while, and you haven't said a single word."

Van blinked a few times from his return. "Yes. No concern on that matter, Haligre. What were you saying?"

__

Haligre. An odd name for a young man, if not still in his teenage years. Haligre was also Vargas's student, and it was custom for his disciple to take over Vargas's job shall anything happen to him. Since Van was king, Haligre was the next one in line to be Van's combat specialist and the king's advisor. Supposedly, he had survived the first attack from the Zaibach army, and had hid in the forest until everything was over. Merle had survived the same way, but she had come out of the forest to search for Van. A trusted knight, he claims to be part of the secret attack against Zaibach, but never revealed himself. Funny how no one knew Vargas had another disciple. Funny how no one suspected him. Merle didn't like him very much, but it seems Van has put the whole country into this man's hands. _I'll be watching him._

Van wished that Hitomi could see his new life as king, and what a good job he had done with rebuilding Fanelia. He wanted to share it with her, to let her see this beauty. To let her have the title of queen.

"Hitomi…" Van whispered.

"What?" Haligre asked, leaning closer to hear it more clearly.

"Nothing important. What were you saying?" There, he had drifted again. He did that too often these days, probably because of the responsibility of the task. Not that he didn't want the role, but to have someone ideal to share your life with, yet to have lost that opportunity. _Isn't the king supposed to get everything he wants?_

"…so I think that you need to rebuild the tower in the West wing of the castle. Van, I need your opinion." _Crap, I wasn't supposed to call him that._ "I will act upon your decision."

Gladly, Van didn't hear what Haligre was saying. "Fine, go ahead, you have my permission." _Eh, better to get this over with and get out of here_, thought Van. "End of court meeting." Merle jumped up in joy. "Finally! Where do you wanna go today, Master Van?"

"I don't want to go anywhere. I'll go for a walk in the garden. I need some time alone to think." Merle pouted and looked as if she was ready to cry. "But I thought you said we were going out today…"

"Merle, I'd play some other time, not now. I'm tired from the court meeting, and would like some time alone." Just then Merle started skipping around him. "Master Van, Master Van, I can think _for_ you! Then afterwards we can play!"

"I. SAID. NO!" Merle froze, and dropped her front paws to the ground, her weak eyes welling up. Van stared at her, realized what he had done, and walked away, always not the type of person to apologize. On her hind legs, Merle looked on as Van disappeared. "Poor Master Van…" she whispered to herself.

The streets of Fanelia at night were really quiet. Everyone was back in their own little house, cooking or having dinner already. He had walked by a few houses with laughter inside. How he wished he had a family. How he wished he _still_ had a family. She was just about the only family he had. Or felt close enough to be family. He shook his head from the memories. He was heading to his brother's grave, and ever since Hitomi had left, he did that almost every day in secret. "Folken…Brother." _You died in honor of your country._ Memories of his childhood with Folken flooded back to him. _You never failed on the dragon hunt, Brother. You succeeded in a way no one else could…_ Before he knew it, he was walking in the forest, and had passed the barrier between the city capital of Fanelia and the wilderness. Memories of Hitomi then flooded back to him. He remembered this forest well. This was where he first loved Hitomi, the point where he'd shown his wings. A flashback. […your wings are beautiful.] And then he saw himself smiling and responding to her comment. [The only people who've ever said that is Merle and you.] But what is the point in thinking of something that had once been but never will be? More memories. [I want you,] he remembered himself saying. Then he remembered being a wimp and backed out of the original meaning of his confession. [I need your power.] If only he hadn't backed out, then he'd have spent more time with Hitomi while it lasted. Baka.

A faint groan came from the bushes, snapping him away from his memories. A hand reached out to grab his leg, and kicked it away in surprise, flinching away and pulling out his sword, pointing it at the bushes. "Who's there?" He readied himself for whatever was there.

"Help…" As that was whispered, the hand tried to grasp for something, only touching air, and then it fell to the ground. Convinced that this was human and not dangerous, he stared in stupidity for a few more seconds, and sheathed the sword. He walked slowly towards the hand and noticed a broken feather lying clenched in the hand. He grabbed the hand and dragged out whoever was there. 

When he saw the face of the speaker, he gasped. "Hitomi!" He checked her breath. Not dead yet. He shook her, to make sure she was real and to try to wake her. "Hitomi! Snap out of it!" She remained still. She was in rags, and he knew the bushes she was pulled out from were thorny, but it looked impossible to have cut clothing into shreds. And oddly, she had a few red cuts on her, but they seemed deeper than what the bushes were able to do. He picked her up and started making his way clumsily back towards the castle.


	4. Chapter 3

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A New Beginning - Chapter 3

"Where am I?"

Hitomi got up slowly. There were bandages over her, and she felt some stinging on her leg. She winced on instinct, reaching to rub the pain. First thought that really popped into her mind was _Am I still on Earth?_ She looked around at some sort of medieval castle room, with a balcony beyond the bed she was lying in and stone-bricked walls. _…guess not. Doubt I traveled back in time…question is which country?_

The door creaked open, surprising Hitomi enough that she jumped. She had always been a jumpy person, she mused. "Hitomi, you're awake!" The voice sounded familiar. "Tea!"

In instant surprise and happiness, she squeaked. Almost ditsy. "Merle!" She ran over to hug her old rival cat. Everything dropped to the ground with a loud clang. The cat pouted, glaring at not really Hitomi anymore due to the fact she's being hugged.

"HITOMI!!! Clumsy humans…I MADE THE TEA MYSELF!!!" Hitomi couldn't help but laugh, and helped Merle pick it up after actually seeing the look on her face. Hitomi decided get to another subject. _Just mentioning his name is hard enough. _"I-Is Van here? Is everything all right? Did anything happen to him?"

"And you're saying you wish something happened to him?"

"No! No I didn't say that! I just asked if—"

"I was kidding! Kid-ding. God, humans need to get a sense of humor." 

"Oh look who's talking." Hitomi stifled a laugh. Merle got annoyed enough to smack her in the head. "Shut up!" Hitomi, still giggling, finally slowed to a stop and said, "You still haven't answered me. Where's Van?"

He's practicing his blade combat with Haligre in the training room. After you go find him, can _you_ play with me? Pleeeeeaaaaase??" _Wow, fancy words. BLADE combat._

"Sure…wait—who the heck is Haligre?"

"Oh, he's the disciple of Vargas…he's nice!" At that she sat down and started meowing and licking her paws. After a while, she stopped and put her paw down, continuing, "We didn't know Vargas had disciples until Allen showed up, but then he came to us when Fanelia was reestablished. He said that he was the one who had found the body of Vargas, and buried his body. He also told us that he was ordered to wait for us to return so that he may take Vargas's place as king's advisor and royal knight. He's like Vargas though…stubborn and…stupid."

At that Hitomi started laughing again. _What's her problem?_ thought Merle as she narrowed her eyes into that scary look again. Hitomi quieted when she saw, and held up her hands in defense. "Gosh! Sorry!"

She walked out of the room, laughing inwardly at Merle. _She'd had gotten more mature since she left_, she thought. She walked down the halls, not exactly knowing where she was going, meeting a dead end. She sighed in frustration, and turned back to start over again. Once again, she was back in the room where she walked out of. Merle was inside cleaning up the spilled tea. "Umm…Merle, where's the training room?" The cat put her hands on her hips. 

"It's next door." 

"Oh…I knew that…" She nervously laughed, and backed away from her. Next door was another room with a door the same size, although the door was made of stone, and sealed shut by two layers of more doors before the doorway that led to the staircase came into view, obviously made to be soundproof. No wonder I passed by without noticing, she thought. Hitomi marveled at the new castle's beauty, and how bright the stairways were, as she looked at the million bright lights above hanging on the high ceiling. Finally, she reached a wooden door, and she pushed open the door to see the two figures looking at each other, ready to strike. Haligre heard her open the door and turned his head to see her enter, his lips forming a silly grin as he saw who it was. _Whoa, looks more retarded than stupid to me_, thought Hitomi. Van saw his concentration drifting, and turned to see Hitomi running towards him. "Hitomi!"

"Van, I missed you so much! I don't care what happens anymore…"

"Hitomi! I…" _What to say…_ "…missed…you…too?" He rested his nose in Hitomi's hair, and was about to run his hand in her hair when he noticed that he was still holding a sword. Haligre cleared his throat, smiling at the young king's rare happiness. They stared at him for a while, and then Hitomi released her hold on Van. "May I have an introduction?" Van blushed, while Hitomi just said, "Fine, I'll do it myself. She extended her hand to Haligre. "Hitomi. Kanzaki Hitomi, and you must be Haligre." He smiled, accepting her hand and saying, "Why Van never told me of you before," He turned to Van with his silly grin and asked, "mind telling me since when you had a love life?"

"Yes." _What the hell do you say to that? No, she, the humble girl before you, saved Gaea from destruction._ He looked at Hitomi for permission. Hitomi nodded, and he continued. "Don't be so nosy. She's from the Mystic Moon." Haligre simply smiled knowingly, and reassured, "If you feel uncomfortable with me knowing that, we all descended from the Mystic Moon to begin with, so I'm fine with it."

Hitomi was almost surprised that Van didn't keep discovering the ruins of Atlantis in secret. She smiled in friendliness along with Haligre's predictable grin, and Van felt an air of awkward exchange. "Hitomi," Van said, "I need to talk to you in private. Follow me to my room?" Haligre held himself from laughter. Hitomi simply thought, _Too happy a person…_ while Van's mind simply said, _My God, what does he think I plan on doing?_ thought Van. He grabbed Hitomi's hand and pulled her hard enough to be dragging her.

*****

They returned to the room where Hitomi came from, and Merle lighted up at the sight of him. "Master Van! Are you gonna play with me now?"

"Merle, there are some things Hitomi and I have to discuss. Go find…Haligre instead." He knelt down to the small Merle, and she marched out of the room. As the door closed, Van sat down and motioned her to sit. "I needed to talk with you. Why did you come back? Was it important? And how did you end up getting injured? I found you while I was walking in the forest."

"Is that all you're worrying about? Why I came back? Is it important? Don't you want me here?"

"Hitomi, you already know my answer, why do you bother asking? Some things that happen tend to have consequences. I don't want anything to happen to you."

She sighed. Why is she getting so worked up for nothing? "Sorry…I…had another vision. I saw my Grandma. It kinda frightened me, because it hasn't happened in such a long time." She looked down in thought. "And I wanted to come back." She grabbed his arm. "Van…" She stopped and took a moment to look deep into those eyes, searching for something. "…tell me that things are gonna stay the way they are right now."

"Why would you want nothing to change?" He put his hand on her hand. "I can't promise you that, because I'd be lying to you. But I promise that whatever happens, I'll be right there with you."

He asked after a while, and she began retelling the events of her other vision, which was mainly what made her decide to come back to Gaea. Van listened, at times even looking a little shy that he was so valued, and after Hitomi almost broke down, Van didn't know what to do. Finally, Hitomi stopped crying and there was a long pause. Then, Van asked, "Do you…remember what happened to you out there?"

Hitomi tilted her head in question. "Out there?"

Van tried making his question seem less vague. "When you first arrived."

Staring at her legs, Hitomi stuttered a reply. "I…" She put her face in her hands. "I can't remember."

"It doesn't matter, now that you're here." He motioned to her bandages. "I just wanted to get to the bottom of this. There just seems that something isn't right...I have a strange feeling about this."

"I don't remember getting hit. I don't remember anything since I left…the Mystic Moon…the only thing I knew was that I had wished deeply to come to Gaea, and then I woke up in your castle. I don't remember…"

"That doesn't make sense…"

"I don't know, but it's probably not a big deal. So maybe I fell through the branches of the trees, fell unconscious, pretty bad fall, then landed wherever you found me." Van nodded, and placed a familiar pendant back around her neck, and she stared at it for a moment. "You kept it." She smiled. He gave her a weird look and said "Uhh…why _wouldn't_ I?" She smiled. After a long pause, he said, "I'm still not sure. You were still conscious when I found you, so you should remember…I just have a feeling that it's not so simple. Cuts inflicted by twigs and thorns are random scratches, but your cuts seem straight and deep, like they're made by some sort of blade…thorns also usually come off and get stuck in your skin." 

"Eww…you're just over-nervous and scared that Gaea will return to the way it was before. Remember when I saw this pendant in one of my visions? I think…I think it was the vision where I found out that Gaea was created by people of the Mystic Moon. I'm not so sure, but the leader of the Atlanteans was holding a pendant, similar to this one, and he was standing in some sort of coliseum or arena. I wonder how it ever got to my Grandma's hands?" _That was some sucky attempt to change the subject._

"It doesn't matter now, like you said. We still have the future to worry about. That was all the past."

Hmm…the future…she wondered what would await her in the future of Gaea; how did her Grandma get the necklace from the Atlanteans? Besides, how did Atlantis get destroyed in the first place? So many unanswered questions… The only clues the ancient scripts gave her were that the power of the people destroyed the city…and yet there was no 'how'. Maybe Van is right…the cuts aren't as simple as they appear. And she has a feeling she's gonna get thrown back into history that has not ended yet. Something tells her Gaea isn't as at peace as it looks. _We'll see…_


	5. Chapter 4

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A New Beginning - Chapter 4

Hitomi lay in her bed thinking, not quite ready for sleep. She stared out the window for a blank second, and returned to staring at the ceiling. _Gray…made of stone…the ceilings back on Earth are rather smooth too_. She caught herself thinking of that thought and stopped. _Am I missing my life on Earth?_ Afraid of regretting what she did, she pushed away the thought and finally attempted to go to sleep. Just the second when she shifted herself to a more comfortable position and closed her eyes, she heard whispering. And it's coming from outside.

"Yes, I understand." _Understand what?_ Hitomi decided that it was none of her business, and decided to ignore the commotion. Once again, she closed her eyes.

"…from the Mystic Moon…" another voice said. _It was about her? So the people aren't so at ease about her history after all_. Her curiosity got the better of her and she got up from bed, quietly. She walked over to the door, and placed her ear against the cold wood. "…must capture her…" _Capture her?! _And that's when she noticed the warmth hitting her bare feet, caused by a red light under her door. _Red light?!?_ She got out of her current position and kneeled down, trying to get a better view of what is outside from the crack under her door. _Only one pair of feet_. She caught a faint glimpse of the man's clothing, but could not make out the face. He wore a sleeveless black vest, which didn't cover up the scar on his right arm, and a long black cape that flowed down to his boots. The scar was the shape of a star with a circle around it.

The red light soon disappeared, and the man walked away.

__

What the hell is going on? Red light? Capturing? She decided on asking Van what is going on in the morning. She got back into the bed, once again looking up at the ceiling, but she couldn't sleep anymore.

*****

Sunlight shone in through her window drapes, and she opened her eyes to see a servant putting up the drapes, tying them to each side of the window frame. She squinted to protect her eyes, and attempted to get up. _Ow!_ The servant noticed she was awake, and ran over to help her get up.

"Had a good night of sleep?" the servant asked.

"Uh, yeah, you?"

The servant smiled. "Yes, thank you, miss."

Once again, Hitomi tried to move, but her headache pushed her back down. She grunted and brought an arm up to her forehead. The servant quickly took her arm and gently pulled her up. With a worried look, the servant asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I stayed up too late yesterday, I guess."

"Let me go get the doctor. He should know what's wrong."

Hitomi quickly grabbed her arm and shook her head. "A doctor for a headache? I'm not dying…yet…"

"M'lady, don't say such things! Lord Van will be so upset!"

__

Upset over what? "That's okay, I'm fine now. Would you be so kind as to give me a moment alone?" The servant bowed and backed out of the room. Hitomi sighed. _Finally…_she thought. She got out of bed and stuttered her way to change. Preparing everything, she set out to the well to wash up.

Merle, her cat ears twitching, heard someone approaching. She looked up from her reflection in the water and saw Hitomi making her way toward her, all the time grabbing hold of something, as if she'd collapse any second. 

"Hitomi!" Merle called, getting up from her seat and running over on four legs to help Hitomi.

"Merle! Why are you up so early?"

"_Early?_ You call this early? The moons are almost in the center of the sky already!"

Merle quickly guided Hitomi to sit in her previous seat by the well. She rinsed a cloth and gave it to Hitomi. The girl quickly took the cloth and wiped her face. "Feel better?" Merle asked. Hitomi nodded.

"Why didn't you just ask the servants to get you some water? You look half-dead!"

"Didn't wanna bother them."

"Why not? It's their job."

"Felt like walking."

It was no use. No matter how much Merle tried, Hitomi was still that stubborn and independent. Just like Van. _Wonder where Van is?_ Merle thought. Just when Merle was about to say something, footsteps interrupted her thoughts. She looked up to find Haligre plastered with his usual grin walking their way. "Morning! How's last night?" he chittered, and winked to Hitomi.

"And you forgot about me…" Merle said, crossing her arms at the same time.

He turned to Merle with a slight smirk. "Of course not! How can I forget about my favorite catgirl?"

__

Are they together? Why does Merle care so much? Hitomi smiled and got up. That was when something caught her eyes. She froze in her tracks, trying her best not to make it noticeable. "Umm…ex-excuse me for a sec…" She ran off into the hallways, not caring whether she got lost.

"What's up with her?" Haligre asked. Merle simply shrugged.

*****

Out in the hallways, Hitomi was panting, trying to catch her breath. She looked back to see if anyone followed her. _No, it can't be…HIM?_ A scar. A star-shaped scar. With a circle around it.

Haligre was the one with the sorceress' cape around him the night before.

And he's after her.


	6. Chapter 5

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A New Beginning - Chapter 5

Jiyuni walked through the forest as it got darker. _Must hurry up_, he thought. The tall man strided through the path of pebbled soil, ornamented with weeds and ferns at the side. _I hope Circe isn't mad…_ He shuddered at the thought of what would happen to him if she was. _Better hurry up._ He looked up into the distance ahead, and there were mountains of rocky brown dipped with clouds that gave a certain mist and enchantment to them, yet eerie and cold. _Almost there_. He looked up into the sky to see the moons getting brighter and the sky getting darker, and swore under his breath. He started running.

It was almost close to darkness now, with only a few rays of light left shining upon him. _Made it_. He sighed with relief, and stood at the center of a clearing surrounded by trees of heights unmeasurable. And that's when he closed his eyes.

Placing his hands under his forehead together to form some sort of ceremonial gesture and making some motions, he whispered under his breath, "Modgnik laciga mehtotem…DAEL!" A sudden light reached from the two moons and shone upon him. Within a second, he disappeared into thin air, as if he was never there, before all signs of light disappeared, letting night roam Gaea.

When Jiyuni reappeared, he was standing on grounds near the edge of a cliff, and directly in front of it was a cave carved into a mountain. He got up, brushed himself off, and walked calmly into the cave. The instant he stepped inside, torches around him sparked to life. He casually turned to look at the light, and soon, the torches faded from sight, leaving him in complete darkness. He came to a pitchfork in the road, where there were three paths to choose from. The three each separately glowed a different color: red, green, and blue. He acknowledged the fact that each contained a deadly trap in them, and chose the blue cavern to enter. Once he was inside, all background surroundings morphed, leaving him in a completely different place than before. There was ice around him everywhere, and only a narrow path for him to walk on. He paused before walking forward. Once he took his first step, ice shards came out of nowhere, flying around in all directions. His brows furrowed in concentration, and he shut his eyes, making the same gestures he did before, and opened his eyes just in time to see the ice sharps coming at him together at the same time. "EDISER STIRIP SECI!" Giant flames spread in the ground in a symbol the shape of a star with a circle around it, and he stands in the center of the star. The shape encased just in time around him, creating a shield of fire. The ice shards melted once they had contact of the shield, and once all the shards disappeared, he let go of the shield, and casually walked a short distance of the narrow path.

Once he came to his destination, he stopped. Staring at what seems like endless paths in front of him, he stepped forward once more. But instead of solid ground, his foot touched nothing, and disappeared into a type of warp. Soon, the cave was just as empty as it was before.

*****

Again, Hitomi stared up at the ceiling, unable to sleep. Thinking of the night before, she finally decided not to tell Van. _Even if I told Van, he wouldn't believe me_, she thought. Truth struck her that she didn't trust him enough. _Why can't I trust anyone as I used to?_ She pained at the thought that perhaps this isn't the right place she was supposed to belong after all. She quickly pushed away the thought, and stared out her window at the dark blue sky, letting her eyes lay on the moons. _Is Yukari and Amano okay?_ A knock on the door turned her back to her surroundings. "Who is it?"

"Van."

"Come in." She immediately regretted her words, and tried to fumble for words on how to greet a king. Before she could say anything, Van pushed the door open. Hitomi sat in fear, unable to move. "S-sorry your majesty, I…" Van raised a brow in confusion, and started walking toward her. Hitomi visibly shook. Van stopped in his tracks. _Something's wrong..._ An alarmed expression quickly came over him, and he reached for his sword, which scared Hitomi even more. "Is something wrong?" he whispered fiercely, as if he's afraid whatever is in the room will hear. Hitomi sighed realizing what had happened, paused, and quickly smiled, shaking her head. Van sheathed his sword, and looked at Hitomi in even more confusion than before. Hitomi tried to hold back a giggle, but was not successful as she burst into laughter. Van just stood there and waited for her to calm down. Hitomi eventually stopped herself long enough to tell Van what just happened. She began laughing again right after she finished telling him, and Van smiled in realization of his stupidity. Watching Hitomi, he leaned closer, while she closed her eyes. _Anytime now._ Their lips locked for a moment, and Hitomi was just about to kiss back when Van resided back to his own place on Hitomi's bed, and stopped smiling as he stared at Hitomi's reaction. Hitomi laid with eyes wide and reached a hand up to touch her lips where Van's just lingered. 

"I've missed you," he simply said. Hitomi opened her mouth to say something, and Van shook his head gently, and said, "You don't have to say anything. I just…missed…you?" _Was that shock she felt the beginning to adult lust? _He stood up and walked to the door. He turned to look at Hitomi, and stopped walking. "Good night, Hitomi." He continued toward the door, and she watched him slip out the door as the door closed. She sighed. _He still cares about me enough to protect me._ She pulled the covers of the cloth to hug herself even tighter. Shifting to one side, she drifted into sleep without another thought, smiling.


	7. Chapter 6

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A New Beginning - Chapter 6

"This is the second time she's disappeared!" Amano cried to Hitomi's mom. She remained in her position and remained emotionless. Too shocked and too grieved to lose the battle for sanity to it. She can't…she just can't…

"…second…" she repeated after the younger man as she absently stared out the window of Yukari's hospital room. She had arrived to tell him that Hitomi was missing, and it just happened that telling him turned out to be harder for herself than for him. Yukari laid upon the bed, while Amano sat next to it.

"Why does this happen?" He softened his tone. "Why do bad things have to happen?"

She didn't turn around he remained in silence behind her. She continued to stare out the window. There were trees outside…the middle of spring. Spring…the lucky and productive season, supposedly the beginning of hopes and goals. "…have to happen…" she parroted again.

"…why…" Amano faintly cried as he buried his face in Yukari's hand.

She couldn't stand it anymore. She quickly turned around, eyes full of rage. She walked over to Yukari's still form on the bed. Face full with disgust, she hit her face repeatedly, until Yukari's cheeks were full with pink. Tears quickly sprang to her eyes, and she knew the strong figure she was keeping up, the war she had fought against grief, was lost.

Amano quickly jumped up in surprise and grabbed her arm as she was about to slap her again. "Let me go!" she cried.

"What do you think you're doing?" He quickly restrained the woman, despite the fact he was in a wheelchair, and tried to tell her to stop. Eventually, the woman gave up and broke up into sobs. "She's not coming back this time…not ever again…" Quickly, her eyes shifted from grief to anger again. She turned back to Yukari, and screamed, "We're mourning. What're you doing? You're lying there doing nothing! Nothing at all! Hitomi's gone! Forever! And you have Amano beside you…what does an old woman do in this picture? She lost her daughter, husband…" She trailed off into sobs at the last word, and quickly, scarily returned to her odd still posture.

__

What is she doing? Suddenly, he realized her point, and grabbed while saying, "Yukari, do you hear us?! Wake up!" Amano yelled. Suddenly, out of the corner of the unconscious girl's eyes, a teardrop slid down. Amano's grasp on Yukari's arm felt a slight tinge of movement.

Amano rose suddenly, forgetting about his broken leg, and winced in pain. "Doctor!" he cried. Mrs. Kanzaki broke out of her blankness and stared at Amano for a second before realizing what happened. She stood up and ran out of the room, calling for the doctor at the same time. The door clicked as Amano sat back down, waiting anxiously for Yukari's eyes to open, silently praying to himself, clasping Yukari's hand.

*****

Hitomi woke from the dream, gasping for air. _Why can I see what's happening on Earth?_ She wiped the sweat from her forehead and sighed. Turning her head to the window, she looked at the Mystic Moon again. With all the clouds covering the Earth, she could still see a few continents. Japan was too small an island to be seen… That couldn't have been real… But it was. It was too real an experience to be fake. She could feel their grief. _A person's feelings will reach the other person…_ She stared at the pendant on her chest, and it looked red in the dark. At least now I know they're okay. She glanced at the watch on her wrist. It was nearly 5:00 in the morning, only a few more minutes to go. Deciding she wasn't tired anymore, she got up from the bed to cool off from the heat and padded back and forth in the room after she'd finished washing up until it was nearly 5:30 on her watch. She figured it was too stuffy in the room, and opened the door to go to the forest for a little walk.

*****

Merle had just gotten up, and decided to run outside to Folken's grave. Van should be there by now. She asked a servant to fetch her some water, and after washing up, she set out to search for Van.

*****

Haligre hadn't slept at all the night before. He had had to make a long journey concerning Fanelia's future queen. Yet having once made it back, he had to report to his superior to acknowledge the fact that he made it back without being discovered. He had to meet someone in some unknown place…deciding the forest is the most unroamed area early in the morning, he set out immediately trying to attract as little attention as possible.

Upon stepping outside, Merle saw a familiar figure, walking past the garden her room was close to. _Haligre! What's he doing so early in the morning?_ Merle thought. _Is someone after him? _Haligre looked very pale, and peeked to his left and right before continuing his journey. _Weird. _Deciding to get to the bottom of it, she decided to play spy and follow Haligre.

Every now and then, Haligre would turn his head around to make sure no one is following, and that's when Merle's soft paws come in handy. The bushes didn't even rustle as she moved along them. Quietly, she followed him to a place far enough in the woods so everywhere around was nothing but trees and leaves. When she saw him stop, she crawled up into a treetop so no one could see her.

Haligre made some weird hand motions and whispered something to no one. _Talking to himself TOO much there_, Merle thought. She patiently waited for whom he's waiting for to come out, but there was no one. Suddenly, a light from the centerpoint of his forehead and the concentration of his hands pressed together combining startled her. She turned her head, almost forgetting to hide herself, and stared in shock. A red light, apparently fire-like in appearance, had appeared in his hands, seemingly coming from his forehead, creating a type of circle in front of him. He looked up at the circle, and a woman's face appeared in it. The circle rippled now and then, as if it was a puddle of water. Merle was within earshot of their conversation, and overheard.

"Returned safely." Haligre said with his eyes closed and head down.

"Already? Hmm, your skills are improving."

"Thank you, mistress."

"Contact me again tonight at midnight, same spot, and report the current situation. Until then."

"Yes, mistress."

The circle closed up, and the fire disappeared. Haligre kept his step firm, and Merle couldn't help but gasp. Haligre took note immediately, and by instinct closed his eyes and made some motions with his hands. Merle covered her mouth, but it was already too late. Haligre had discovered her hiding spot. From Haligre's forehead the fire spread like a laser beam to his hands, and he opened his eyes. Without even looking his hand went to the direction where Merle was, red fire following it. A line of fire shot at Merle, and she screamed at the sight of the fire nearing her. It burnt her skin, her clothes.

Haligre, recognizing the familiar voice, turned around to see who he had in his grasp. He let his spell go as he stared at the seared skin of the young catgirl.

"Who…_are_…you…?" Merle managed to choke through her pain.

For a moment Haligre stood in shock at what he'd done. And then a determined look came over him. He raised his hand in the same motion, a circle of red glowing on his forehead. His hand pointed at Merle, ready to finish the work. Merle's face changed from pain to fear, and her eyes arched up to a begging look. "N-no…" she whispered faintly, "you…can't…Hal…i…g-g-"

Merle coughed out blood as she tried to finish her last syllable. Haligre paused in mid-air, with the fire already in his hand. He looked at Merle's face. _That face. I can't…I…can't! _He suddenly held his hands to his head, and slowly rocked his head violently. Merle's face changed, and she tried crawling over to Haligre, but stopped without success, and coughed more blood upon the ground. Haligre, through his own self-battle, turned to Merle as if he had just discovered she was there. He quickly snapped out of his trance, running to help Merle up, almost forgetting that he was supposed to kill her. _But it doesn't matter…as long as Circe doesn't find out._ He helped Merle, and slowly examined the burns on her waist. It bared flesh so grotesque no sane being can stand without throwing up.

"Rotaerc stiyb dessel bebsd nuow esehty am!" His hand waved over her body once, and the wounds slowly healed, leaving seared cloth on her skin. Merle's eyes closed slowly until she was unconscious, and Haligre immediately picked her up and decided to return to the castle. He started running. 

Halfway back to the castle, a thought struck him. Perhaps she should remain in the woods for a few days. He was afraid that she might tell someone what had happened if she woke up. He cast invisible ropes over her, which tied her to a nearby tree, and made a force field around her so she'd appear invisible to the human eye. He made a move to run back to the castle, when he turned once again and saw Merle's head hanging limp on her chest. His conscience fought his selfishness and made him stay with her for the night. Slowly, he stepped into the force field also, making himself disappear along with her.


	8. Chapter 7

A New Beginning - Chapter 7 ****

A New Beginning - Chapter 7

Hitomi walked through Van's garden, finally resting upon the grass by the fountain, hugging her legs. Staring into the fountain, she looked at her own reflection for a few minutes before a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Hitomi."

Hitomi looked up and saw Van approaching her. She quickly sat up straight, waiting for Van to say something. Van strolled to where Hitomi was and sat down beside her, also looking into the reflection of the fountain, leaving Hitomi staring at him, still waiting. After an awkward silence, she decided to start a conversation.

"So…got up this early?"

"Yes."

"Isn't your room that way?" She pointed toward the opposite direction he had come from.

"Yes."

"Why were you coming from there?" Again she pointed, but toward where he had appeared to her.

"I was outside."

"Why?"

The question seemed to have struck him by surprise. He lifted his sight from the water, and turned to look at her. She kept her questioning gaze on him, and then he turned his head from her to look at the sky. Van laid back on his back and rested his head on his arms, sighing as he did so. Seeing him do that, Hitomi also lay down beside him, doing the same thing, and turned her head to look at him. _He's thinking again,_ she thought.

"What are you thinking about?" she finally said.

"About my brother."

"Folken? I-I'm sorry…"

"It's fine. He. . .he was an honorable man…he didn't betray his country…"

"Of course he didn't! He turned it into what it is now!" She swung her arms around at the surroundings around her, adding emphasis to what she'd said.

"I know that, but I can't force myself to think that…" Van said between a sigh of frustration.

"You can't believe something unless you truly think it's true…" Hitomi mouthed.

Van turned his head immediately. "What do you mean by that?"

All of a sudden, Hitomi became frightened of him. She wasn't frightened of his eyes, not those eyes that she'd loved about him, nor his violence…in a way she had loved his violence. But right that moment, the young boy had so much power amongst him that it frightened her. The power of a king…the power to eliminate anyone he wishes…but when she opened her mouth to respond, she was surprised by the response she had chosen and the bravery behind it.

"That you didn't believe that Folken died in honor. That he perhaps—"

Van didn't let her finish. His eyes were clouded in anger. He immediately shot up and struck her across the face. Hitomi screamed at the pain, and glared up at him, placing her hand on her cheek. _He hit me! How could he hit me…_

She got up slowly, and Van was still breathing heavily. Looking into Hitomi's tearful face, he suddenly realized what he had done. He lifted his hand and looked at it, horrified by the life it had of its own. _What have I done?_ Hitomi spun away from him, unable to face him, and for a moment, Van watched as her back shook while she sobbed. His hand was moving slowly towards her, raised inches from her back to comfort her, but right when he was about to make contact with her back she turned around and yelled out in tears, "I'M SORRY!" and ran off into the castle. Van stood in his garden dumbfounded.

*****

It was afternoon, and Haligre had not appeared for the morning court meeting. Van's most important knight disappeared, and the court meeting was canceled. Merle…she had also not appeared to Van during the whole day, which was rare, since the cat's only interest was to hang around Van and Hitomi. Van strode through the hallways of his castle, searching for Hitomi. Already he was beginning to worry about both Haligre and Merle, for the light was starting to disappear. Finally, he came to Hitomi's room, but she wasn't there. Upon entering the room, he noticed a piece of paper lying on the bed. _This can't be good…_ He walked quickly over to the bed, and picked up the small piece of paper. What it said was:

__

Van,

I have enjoyed my time on Gaea. But as fate always has, it has taken to   
unpredictable changes. All I can say is that you've changed. For the better,   
for the worse, doesn't matter. You've changed for the better for your   
country. You won't have to worry about Fanelia's safety anymore, it'll be   
successful with a king as devoted to it as you. I wish you good luck with   
your country, and may it become the best of this world. My leaving is only   
for the best. Perhaps if you choose to forget me, you will find a good queen   
to govern your vast pieces of land for you. And maybe someday, we shall meet   
again. But now, let's just say I need to perform a test on fate to see if it   
wants us to be together. Please do not search for me, we have to let fate   
settle this. Farewell, Van. I will always love you, no matter what happens.

Always and forever, your love,

Hitomi Kanzaki

__

She left?! Van sat down on the bed and put his face in his hands. And for the first time since a long while, he cried, letting out all the stress that had built up inside. _Why had I hit her?! How could she just leave?_ He shook his head in agony, and only stopped when a messenger knocked on the door. He wiped the tears on his cheeks with the fabric of his shirt, sniffed, and wiped his eyes with his palm.

"Come in." he commanded, trying to hide the crack in his voice.

The door opened and a tall man, strongly built, stepped in garbed in full knights' armor. He knelt down on one knee, the usual greeting for males to the king. "Sire," He looked up from the ground to Van, and obviously noticed Van's wet face, but wasn't about to say anything concerning it. "Allen Shezar, knight of Caeli of Asturia, wishes to meet with you."

"I do not wish to see him at the moment. Please tell him that I will talk to him tonight at dinner."

"But he insists on seeing that girl…"

"I said tonight." Van's tone of voice had cut off any possibility of an argument.

A worried face came over the young man. "Y-yes, sire, as you wish."

The man left the room, leaving Van alone in the room.


	9. Chapter 8

A New Beginning - Chapter 8 ****

A New Beginning - Chapter 8

- 5 hours before -

Hitomi sped through the granite halls, her heels barely making any sounds, if any at all. She looked behind her to see if there's anyone. In a way she was unhappy about the fact that Van didn't trail after her…does that mean he doesn't care about her? _Stop thinking too much!_ Hitomi made an effort to shut her mind out from such thoughts. Calmed down once again, she stood in the hall and waited. There was only silence, since everyone was probably still in bed. After a few minutes standing there, Hitomi resumed walking, idly, with some hope that Van might catch up. After she had reached the end of the hall to a wooden door, she looked around her. _Where the hell am I?_ She turned around and began walking to where she came from.

Upon stepping into the garden, it was so silent it was as if something lies waiting beneath the trees, in the shadows, waiting for her to enter it. Looking for signs of Van, she glanced around the lust dark green and saw no one. A feeling deep inside…a feeling tells her something's waiting. Waiting for her, and only her. When a few leaves nearby rustled, she ran back around as fast as she could, knowing as well where she's heading. _No…_ She quickly ran into a room, and when she entered, it was apparently a chamber full of weaponry, probably used to store weapons for practice. She leaned against the door as soon as she slammed it. Heaving for air, she thought, _I can't go back to him…_ She immediately stood up and paced around the room. _He is the king. Whatever he wants will be done._ After a while of pacing, she is still unsure what her next step should be. She rested herself on a wall nearby with axes and swords of all kinds hung on the wall for display probably. Suddenly, a shock hit her body, and the terror came back to her. A soul deep inside awoke, telling her senses something is definitely going to happen within the next few weeks in the kingdom. And then, without further precaution, it came.

The whole room slided in different directions, leaving only a mass of pitch black. She knew what was coming. "Who's there?"

"Learning already…" The white figure made herself appear particle by particle, and soon her whole body was visible to Hitomi.

Hoping that she could get unanswered questions answered, she asked, "Why appear to me at this time?"

"Because I appear to you only when you need it." She smiled, then added, "You must leave him."

"Leave who? You-you can't mean…Van? Why? Why now?"

"Fate is about to take a turn…a very sharp turn indeed. Now it's up to you to decide whether Van lives, or dies."

"And how will leaving him help? Oh yeah, my _anxiety_ is causing him pain. It seems the other way around."

The winged woman only smiled even wider, and Hitomi was surprised at the fact that she wasn't annoyed at her. "Do as I say, and you will give Van an extra chance to survive. Run away from the castle, and you shall come to my world soon." The black backgrounds morphed into the view of Atlantis--no, it was the past of Atlantis, the one she had went to when she'd died along with Van. Dying…is that what it meant?

The woman whispered something under her breath, smiled, and disintegrated, the same way she had come. Hitomi was violently jerked back to her dimension, and she gasped for oxygen as she adjusted to the dimness of the chamber of weaponry. _What the hell was that??_ Staring at the broadswords around her, a sense swept over her that the room wasn't so safe. She creaked open the entrance a bit, and peeked outside to see if there was anyone. Silence. Stepping outside, the breeze cooled her from the terror she just experienced. Then she saw Van at the end of the hall, walking very slowly with his head to the floor. Hitomi hid back in the room, and as soon as Van passed by and disappeared, she quickly ran as silent and as fast as she could opposite the direction of him. _I can't face him yet!_ The thought of Van reminded her of something the woman had said. _Give Van a chance to survive?_ She slowed to a stop and bent down to rest, panting all the while. A bunch of questions aroused in her mind. _I should leave?_ _What does my leaving have to do with Van's life?…my…ANXIETY? Is that what this was all about? I place everyone around me in danger? I am bad luck to everyone? Why should I leave? After all I've gone through to be with Van?_ Reality struck her, and she remembered one thing--he had hit her. And all she did was mention Folken…what if she had said something else worse? _Would he…use his power over me against me?_ _No…he loves me…he's Van, he's always had a bad temper._ _Why am I trying to hide the truth away from myself?_ She put her face in her hands and tears slid freely down the side of her face.

Wiping her tears, she stood up and came to a conclusion. _I can run away from the castle, whether what she told me was true or not…if Van comes after me, then he truly loves me, and can give his kingdom up for me…will he? What if he won't? _Hitomi growled and ran her hand through her short brownish hair, trying to figure out whether she should leave. Finally, the decision was made. She marched back to her room as fast as possible, and when she got there, she quickly scribbled down something and placed it on the bed. _I can't cause you more pain…if you love me, you will understand what I expect._ She looked at the note one last time before closing the door.

*****

Even after she left the castle without the guards suspecting, she still had that feeling that something's wrong. Something nagged at her brain to run, but another feeling told her not to. Hitomi just continuously walked, all the time also aware of the fact that nightfall was coming on. When it was too dark to see what was going on, she casually sat down on a boulder to rest, and sighed of weariness.

Suddenly, Hitomi was alarmed by the sound of footsteps. Out of the shadows, a man dressed in a long-sleeved dark green garment, with pants and a cape to match, stepped out. The stern expression on his face did not comfort Hitomi at all; he had eyes of a tiger ready to pounce on its prey, and Hitomi wasn't about to be his prey. Gasping, she turned and ran to the best her legs could carry her, but when she looked back, he was gone.

She spun rapidly in all directions, ready for an ambush, and her mind realized she was purposely led on a game of cat and mouse to a wooden bridge tied together with aged ropes on both sides. Holding on to the ropes dearly, she suddenly saw the man--there were more than one of him! Images of the same man flashed around her, some floating in the empty space beyond the wooden boards of the bridge. An image directly in front of her stepped forward and smirked, then turning his head quickly to the ropes supporting the bridge, squinting his eyes as he did so. Under the bridge was nothing but darkness. The ropes began unwinding themselves, slowly, then faster, and soon, were only a tiny thread away from breaking. She tried to move her legs, but to no avail did that help. They only shivered violently. "No…you can't…!" whispered Hitomi in fear. The man only laughed, turning his back to Hitomi and took the shape of a hawk. 

__

Snap! 

Hitomi felt a nothingness under her, but a great force pulling her downward. The bird flew to land and stood, watching, smiling. Gladly, she had jumped at the last minute, but that didn't save her. Only a few feet away from solid ground, her hand grasped, only to find nothing but air. _So this is what she meant…going to her world…either Van or me, one of us had to leave this world…goodbye Van…_

The darkness engulfed Hitomi's consciousness.


	10. Chapter 9

A New Beginning - Chapter 9 ****

A New Beginning - Chapter 9

Van stared at his food, all the while using his fork to push it around on his plate. Across from him sat Allen, calmly eating, and also Serena, who just stared into space while Allen and Van ate. _Where should I start explaining?_ Van thought. _From when Hitomi first came? Or when Merle and Haligre disappeared?_ He flipped the steak on his plate around. By now it must've had a million holes made by his fork in it.

"Trying to murder your food?" said Allen while he smiled, looking up from his food and trying to start a conversation to kill the silence. Serena still sat, no emotion showing, just curiosity at everything around her.

Van broke out of his thoughts and looked up at Allen.

Allen continued, "What delayed your meeting your old comrades? Was it something important? If it was," Allen chuckled, "I'm sorry we came at an inconvenient time. We had just heard Hitomi came back! Boy did I get a shock. So how's she doing?"

Van looked back down at his plate. _How's she doing? I wanna know how she's doing myself._

"Is something wrong?" A worried expression came onto Allen's face as Serena still kept on the curious, emotionless face.

"Allen…I…"

"What? You what?" urged Allen.

"I don't know how to tell you—"

"What happened?"

Van sighed. "Hitomi—she…well…left."

There was a silence before Allen had heard Van's words. When his brain heard it, it came as small, colorless letters. S-H-E L-E-F-T. Finally, when he had fully understood the meaning of those words, he questioned him further for more information, half hoping it wasn't true. "She left? Why would she leave? Is there trouble between her and your people?"

"No…I made her leave."

Allen shot up from his seat, his fist slamming the table as he did so. His eyes portrayed anger and fire. "You loved Hitomi! How could you make her leave?! Why are you just sitting here? Go find her, dammit!"

"You don't understand!" Van also got up from his seat. "She told me not to find her…"

Allen almost choked from his response. "She told you not to find her, and you obeyed, even if you love her. How much you love her then."

"IT'S NOT THAT!"

"Then why are you just standing there?!"

Their conversation was interrupted when both of them turned to find Serena laughing and clapping her hands. She had spilled her cup of wine, and somehow, she found it amusing. A servant rushed up to help the girl get up to change her wine-stained clothes. Van looked at Allen in question, and Allen raised a hand up to signal him not to say anything yet. When the servant and Serena were gone, Van spoke out, "She—"

Allen sat back down, and Van shut up, also doing so. "She has been like that since Dilandau's form disappeared. Millerna said that it's because when she was experimented on, it was her childish side, and all those years that she's been Dilandau, her childish side froze. Now that Dilandau's gone, her childish side is what remains of her." Allen put his face in his hands. "I don't know what to do!"

Van felt sorry for the older man. "She'll be alright. At least no harm has come upon her." He suddenly remembered Hitomi, and he tried to hold his sadness back in the presence of company.

"I'll be fine." Allen wiped the single tear from the corner of his eye, and watched Van's expression. "You're thinking about Hitomi?"

Van sighed. "How can I not?" replied Van in a soft regretful tone.

"Go find her. I shouldn't do everything for you. This is between you and Hitomi, and you have to understand that."

"What about Fanelia?"

"It'll be fine as long as your knights watch over it. I'll be here for a while, so I should be able to handle it for you."

"The most important problem is my most important knight is gone right now!"

"Have confidence in your other knights. And me too. We should be able to take care of your country if anything comes up. And besides, now that Zaibach is gone, there shouldn't be any problems at all."

Allen had a point. Van thought about what Allen had said, and finally agreed. "How am I supposed to find her? The wilderness around Fanelia are at least 1,000 acres in total. And how am I even able to know which direction she went?"

Allen smiled and said, "You forgot one thing. You and Hitomi are the only two people who can sense things with your heart. Which means you can use that to your advantage in finding Hitomi."

__

Oh, yeah… Allen continued when Van didn't say anything. "And you can use Escaflowne if the way by foot is too long and dangerous."

Van finally smiled, and Allen did so too. "And in no time, you'll be able to find her!"

"I…" _Wait, that wasn't how to start that sentence._ "Thank you, Allen."

"No problem. I feel honored to have the great Van Fanel to thank me! You, thanking people? Looks like Hitomi has done something good to you after all."

Van smiled. He got up from his seat, paused for a moment in thought, and ran off as he yelled a 'Take care!' to Allen. Where was he going? To Escaflowne.

He was going to find her, no matter what it takes.

*****

"Yes mistress."

The message portal closed up, while Haligre's face was set stern as he stared at the empty space where Circe's face was a second ago. A feminine groan was heard, and he walked around to the other side of the tree to look at Merle, sitting against the tree. Merle slowly opened her eyes and looked at the fire he had smothered on the ground, Haligre, and then the force tying her to the tree. "What did you do to me?!" she demanded.

"I can't let you tell everyone what you know." He stood up and walked over to her. When he pointed a finger at her, she fell to the ground, free from the force. She stared up at him, rubbing her stomach where the ropes had tied her and where the wound was before. Staring at the path just a few meters down, she looked at Haligre. _Good, he's not looking_. She sprinted towards the path, and Haligre immediately turned around when he heard her soft feet on the ground. Before he can tell her anything, she crashed into the force field he created around them. She cried out in pain, rubbing her forehead, which was already red.

"I already told you, I can't let you tell everyone what you know." He walked over to her, and kneeled down. "You'll be safe here in the shield. I'm the only one who can exit this shield, and also remove it, because I'm the creator."

"Who are you?" She suddenly remembered he had burnt her before. Looking at her bare stomach, there were no signs of any injury or blood, except on her seared clothing. "I…thought I was dead…"

"I healed you," Haligre's serious face scared Merle. He usually joked a lot. _Is he still trying to kill me?_ _No, if he did, I wouldn't be alive._

"Why did you heal me? I thought I knew too much."

Haligre himself didn't know why. _Why did I heal her? I don't know…_ "Who I am doesn't matter." He reached for Merle's lump on her forehead. Merle winced, and he froze.

"You're a spy and betrayer! Van trusted you! Why did you betray him? Vargas was an honorable man. You're not fit for his disciple!"

"You're right, I'm not."

__

What does he mean by that? _He's admitting he's a traitor?_ There was a silence. "I was never Vargas's disciple to begin with."

__

Is it okay if I let her know? Not that she could tell anyone as long as she's trapped here… "I never even knew who Vargas is. My real name isn't Haligre;" he paused and waited for her to absorb the information, and then added, "My real name is Jiyuni."


	11. Chapter 10

Okay, this chapter was just to cover up some confusion…SOMEONE said I wasn't detailed enough…=D…you'll get all the detail you want in here, hahaha!!! I swear, this chapter'll drive you guys crazy. So excuse me, I swear I won't write crap anymore in the next chapter, and go back to my normal normal self (the most normal I could get anyway). So hey, sit back and suffer!

****

A New Beginning - Chapter 10

He dashed in pure darkness, with barely any moonlight to light the trees and shrubs. His long dark hair flew in all directions, and he sped with grace from step to step, trained since childhood to be silent as the predators of the night. Dressed in black from head to toe, he camouflaged perfectly with the shadows around him. _Will I do it? Yes…I have to…it's an order._ Conflicting thoughts made him remember events earlier in the day as he continued dashing halfheartedly through the forest.

__

- FLASHBACK -

It was early in the morning in one of those days when you would love to just twirl around when no one's around--very sunny, usually a day that brings along a good mood. Haligre was up and awake, and was still wondering what to do about Merle when the sun's rays formed a bright white beam of light that hit the ground directly in front of him. He lazily stood up, and when he readied himself, he placed his two fingers on the center of his forehead. His image faded back into Jiyuni, dropping his mirage of Haligre. He pointed the two fingers from his forehead to the beam. A red beam shot out of a mark on his forehead (picture of three flames together), and joined with the white beam in front of him. The mixed colors spiraled slowly into a circle, and a mist appeared inside the circle. Soon it merged into a picture of a lady dressed all in white with a headdress of white also, with small golden chains hanging from the headdress. A particular chain hung across her forehead, and suspended from the chain was a symbol of a star and a circle around it. "Yes mistress?"

"Why are you in the midst of greenery? You're in a forest. Hmm. What made you leave your designated post?"

"I didn't make it back in time, and am planning to tell him that I got lost in the forest."

"Baka. You are supposed to be the disciple of Vargas, so shouldn't you know your way around Fanelia?"

"What do you suggest, mistress?"

"Say you met up with a dragon while you were out taking a walk. That should do it."

"Yes mistress. What else you need?"

"Since we traced the girl to the kingdom, I already sent Naoko after her. She tried to run away from the castle, possibly knowing what was to come. Naoko already killed her."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"You will carry out the next step—eliminate the king of Fanelia—tonight."

A shocked expression jumped into Jiyuni's face. _Good thing she can't see me with my head bowed._ Not wanting to arise suspicion, Jiyuni responded quickly with a "Yes mistress."

"You seem hesitant. You have a problem?"

Pause. "No mistress. But why do you want to eliminate the girl?"

A slight curve touched Circe's lips. "She has an ability to see the future. We can't let her tell the king about our plans to come."

"Yes mistress."

"Is that all?"

"Yes mistress."

"Then I expect things to go well tonight."

With a smile, she pointed a finger at what seemed to be Jiyuni and the message portal closed up. Jiyuni slowly returned to his normal pose, and sat back down. Gladly, Merle was tied to the other side of the tree, and Circe couldn't see anything but the tree and the smoke rising from the wood which had been the fire. He heard a moan from behind him, and turned back into the face of Haligre, getting up to see how the catgirl was doing.

__

- END FLASHBACK -

Jiyuni jumped up into a tree and jumped from branch to branch, twig to twig, careful to lighten his step so the wood doesn't snap. He maintained balance well, at the same time catching up to the same speed as he had when he was on solid ground. He smiled at the memory of him telling Merle his real identity after receiving the order from Circe. It was nice to tell someone his big secret. _Kinda like having the sky lifted off your back,_ he thought. Slowing down to a stop, he crouched on the branch he was on. He had arrived at the castle.

*****

Jiyuni was at the top of the castle, and all he had used was a little of his fire magic. Whispering another spell, the shape of ropes glowed in his outstretched hands, and disappeared again. He tied the invisible ropes around a part of the roof, and dropped his way down to the balcony of the ballroom. Cautiously, he walked into the empty ballroom. No one was there. He walked out, and sneaked into the royal bedroom of the king. No one either. _Up this late? So unlike him._ Soon he came across the dining room, and it was empty except for servants cleaning up dishes. Two of the servants came out and whispered to each other. Jiyuni immediately cast an invisible shield around himself. He heard the girls giggle and followed them quietly down the hall as they talked, it seemed important and able to give him information where Van is.

One of the girls yelled out an ear-killing "Really?!"

With same volume, the girl responded. "Yeah!"

__

Whoop, back to whispers. Thank God. "I wish I were her! Who is she anyway, and what made her deserve the king to like her so much? She's only an outsider from the Mystic Moon."

"I heard she fought with him side by side in the Gaean Struggle."

"Tch. Doesn't look like she can do anything but whine. Not all that beautiful either."_ Yeah, doesn't seem like you could do anything but whine either._

"I wonder when the king will be back?"

__

He's away? A grateful smile came upon him, and he was glad he didn't have to be the one to do the job. He thanked God for this change of plans, and sneaked back into the forest while thinking in amusement to himself what the point of whispering is if every now and then the servants have to yell out an ear-piercing scream that the whole world could hear.


	12. Chapter 11

****

A New Beginning - Chapter 11

Van charged through the trees in Escaflowne, cutting down whatever was necessary, everything that got in his way. For all he knew, Hitomi may be dead--he can't let her die. There was no time to waste, a country is still waiting for him on the mountaintops of the Fanelian border…flying in air would be faster, but that would make it harder to spot her, considering a few hundred feet above the ground would make her hard even for the ravenous birds to spot. He can't go too fast either--if he misses her, there could be a chance he can crush her with Escaflowne. For some reason, his mind can't detect where Hitomi is. Weird thing is, even if she _is_ dead, he would still be able to detect where her body is…he could detect her anywhere, he could _feel _her through their relationships, and they could communicate just by looking at each other, no words. That was the intimacy they shared—he could tell what mood she is in, her physical and emotional pain, her surroundings' every sound and sight, just by envisioning her through deep concentration. _Does seem to work now_. It worked even when she was as far away as the Mystic Moon; yet now it's not working. It's too confusing.

Perhaps he had been too enveloped into finding Hitomi that he didn't notice that he wasn't alone. With the speed it was going at and Van just standing still, it took no time for it to catch up to him. Out of nowhere, a dragon's tail whipped low on the grounds, and tripped the metal-clad king. Escaflowne landed hard on the ground, as Van shook violently with the crash, swearing to himself. When the dragon whirled around and tried to attack again, he grabbed his sword with speed he was sure the dragon wouldn't expect, and tried to stab the dragon in the eye. He heard a clang…immediately he noticed some difference in this dragon than the others. It's skin color was pure emerald, unlike the black of the others. Even it's eyes had clear-colored scales protecting it--it was unable to be penetrated. It seemed to have a sense of familiarity to its eyes. That sparkle…Van used to love seeing that sparkle. Yet Van could not pinpoint exactly where he had seen those eyes before.

He was too busy observing that eye that he didn't even notice the dragon strike again. Over and over he fell from the tripping of the tail, and it seemed he fell harder than most dragon's strength could manage. He noticed the dents on the floor of the dirt where Escaflowne fell before, and the rocks that he fell on just turning to sand. Soon he quickly and willingly gave in to unconsciousness, body bleeding from Escaflowne's damage, finding himself unable to defeat the dragon, plus the fact that he doesn't want to harm the dragon for some odd reason. He laid still from injuries, ready to give into death, when the dragon carried off the body of Escaflowne and the master inside it. His consciousness had slipped from him.

*****

Merle heard a loud crash ringing through the forest, and felt that echo of metal shake the ground. It spread among the branches, from the smallest leaf to the ancient tree trunks. It startled her at first; she did not expect such a loud noise through the usual peaceful forest. It had been three weeks since she had been away from Fanelia; she had kept her count on the days, eager to return to Master Van. Somehow she had a feeling something was going on Jiyuni wasn't telling her…

Jiyuni hadn't been coming back to check on her for almost a week now. _It gets confusing…so many unanswered questions…what the hell is he doing anyway?_ She shifted her head to lie on the bark of the tree. _First he barbecues me, and plays doctor for me. Now he ties me up, and tells me his secret that depended on his life?_ A confused look came upon her puny face. _If he's afraid of everyone finding out, why does he tell me? He…he plans on killing me? But if he does, why the hell did he heal me? And if he healed me, why would he believe me with his secret? If he was going to let me go anyway…_ Her eyes go wide, and she jumps her head up from the tree she was lying on. _…wait a minute! He's NOT gonna let me go!_ Silently, she cursed to her stupidity of never realizing that before. _He heals me because he wants to tell me his big secret, watch me fear him, and THEN kill me…sadistic bastard._ She glared into a sun-shone spot on the ground outside of the shield. Two bunnies were hopping together, occasionally one sniffing the other. Her natural feral instinct tells her to go after it…she claws and growls catlike at the shield. The bunnies can't seem to see her, nor hear her—she can't get out, no matter what she does. Eventually, she gives up when the bunnies disappear into some bushes nearby. Sighing, she leans back down on the bark of the tree and pick up the food that mysteriously appears on the ground 3 times a day. _Still…why is he so nice to me then?_

*****

"He's not in the castle of Fanelia?" demanded a very enraged Circe.

"I believe not, mistress." Jiyuni's head was bowed low in a poise of respect to report a message, as usual.

"You believe not? You _BELIEVE_ not? Who has enough time for what you believe and not believe? I want him gone, and you follow my orders!"

"Yes mistress."

She rubbed her temples, and then a smile touched her crimson lips. "Go back to the castle and wait for him there. He _will_ be there. I'll make him go back. In the meantime, find out why he's not in the castle. It is unusual for him to leave the castle…find out and report immediately."

__

Umm…alright… "Yes mistress."

Jiyuni got up, saluted with the proper gesture, and left the chamber. The chamber could scare the hell out of anyone--the perfect place to go trick-or-treating, one would say. Dark, eerie, gloomy…yet crystals hung at the ceiling of the roof of the cave, and Circe's seat looks as if it is made of pure diamond or quartz of some kind. A normal man would think construction of the cave would cost a fortune, but when you have magic on your hands, decoration is not a worry. Circe's beauty matched the cave's--if you take a glance at her, she may have been able to make suitors kill themselves just for her pleasure, but within her heart lies only one man, a far memory into time. It is so distant, yet she cherishes it deeply in her heart. 

She smiled and she closed her eyes. She opened her palm as a brush appeared, and bit her finger hard enough to make it bleed. She placed a few drops of blood on a spot on the flat surface next to her, and quickly dipped the brush into the blood. With a wave of a hand, a cup of water appeared beside her. Using the blood as an ink, she wrote the name of Millerna's father, king of Asturia, on the water, and waited for the blood to merge with water…by the time it was done, the whole pot of water turned red, even though it was only a few drops she gave. She stared into the water as the face of the king appeared on the red liquid, and smirked to herself. Then she closed her head and started laughing. One would think she belongs in a mental hospital.

No one but her would know that the cackle was in fact but a cry in pain, a wail to gods of the heaven asking why. A cackle that came from immense suffering and so much crying that no more tears even come when you summon them. Only a laugh at the irony of it all…how she looks at couples of Romeos and Juliets, the stupid fools they were, to sacrifice their lives for each other…and how she used to be one of those people. How long had she been here? How long had these thoughts been here? _I may have lasted over a thousand, but our destiny has been lasting for eternity, my love._ The laughs turned into sobs, but still no tears. This was how it was like to deal with her inner pain every day, every single second that she lives through. 

__

It will be over soon…as soon as the ceremony is over, she told herself.

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My love, we shall meet again.


	13. Chapter 12

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A New Beginning - Chapter 12

Van woke up to the dripping sound of water. He stared at the ceiling of where he lay now. Nothing but mounds of dried magma. He noticed he wasn't inside Escaflowne anymore, and popped up immediately. Blood surged back to his brain, and the headache hit him. He groaned as he rubbed his temples with his palms. Although the room was dark and unlit, he was lying in a beautifully carved rock bed which dents in, with what seems to be cotton or soft material of some kind lying in a pile in the dent, serving as a comfortable mattress. No bedpost, but lace curtains hanging around him, spiraling its way from the bed. For decoration purposes, assumingly.

__

That dragon…It_ did this? Quite impossible…God, this headache is affecting my thinking. Someone saved me… Hitomi, where are you? Wait, where am I?_ He could see nothing of his surroundings, sense nothing at all. Except for a smell, the scent of a dragon. _What happened to Escaflowne?_ Groping around, he decides to explore his boundaries. A quaking of the floor informs him that the arriver was a dragon after all. After a few moments, the shaking stopped. Preparing himself for any battle to come up, he jumps when a _human _body robed in white came into his view, and simply stated, "So you have awaken. The Master wishes to speak with you." Still suspicious, he halfheartedly walked with the man to the person to which he was referring. _Wait…where's my sword? How can I defend myself without a sword?_ He swore under his breath and prayed he still remembered the hand-to-hand combat Vargas had taught him when he was a child, before teaching him the skill of blade. Before he even knew where he was going, the man wasn't there anymore, and he was in a huge room of stone, darkly lit. _Reminds me of the prison room of the Vionne_. He thought there was something not right here…those drapes…the walls…nothing unusual. Oh yeah, he was about to meet someone… He took a step. Suddenly the thought struck him that that step could've been fatal. He reminded himself mentally to be cautious at all times.

A minor sound to his left alerted him, and he immediately got in his best defensive post. _Where did she come out from?!_ A woman in a long white robe was perched on a chair near the windowsill, back facing him. The body shape looked strangely…distant and familiar. She had beautiful wings. They were silver, and shone like the moonlight glimmering through the window. _The fragrance of fresh-plucked blossoms…the hair of golden brown…the slender shoulders…_ A slideshow of images flashed through his mind, and as Van waited for his brain to calm and the woman to speak, she got up from the chair. And turned around. Damn, the face was hidden by shadows, thanks to the dark room…walking closer, closer, closer…

And she touched him, gently, on his face.

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Should I attack? Then again, if the woman were to hurt him she would have done so. He can see nothing but her smile. And her beautiful wings, glamorous and perfect. She opened her mouth to speak.

"Van…how have you been? Where is _jikei_?"

No…it isn't…it couldn't be…after all this time? _Hahaoya?_ He subconsciously spoke his thoughts out, and the woman responded with a "Yes."

"How could it be, after all these years? Vargas was sent to search for you, but no one could find you—"

"—because the dragons had rescued me."

"Rescued? What do you mean rescued? They're dragons, they're vicious and dangerous!"

She smiled. "We _are_ of the dragons. You, me—we have the Draconian blood. That's why humans fear our kind so."

His eyes widened for a moment, and he bowed his head low in defeat. Silence. He could feel her eyes on him. She seems so familiar, yet unfamiliar. She became something she wasn't in what he saw as Mother before. And finally he's come to remember it – he's Draconian.

"Come, there is someone waiting for you. I sent one of our people to search for you; you turned out to be easier to find that expected. Follow me."

He looked up absently just enough to see her long robe dragging on the floor, and walked behind her. If he wasn't careful, he could've stepped on them. _Wouldn't that be interesting. _The door opened and closed automatically, to his surprise. She had disappeared before he even knew it. But he was fine with it--he needed time to take in what she told him, and accept it. Accept it as part of who he is, his heritage and origin.

He was on the perch of a balcony. A girl dressed in a uniform--blue uniform--short brown hair and tall skinny structure…

"HITOMI!" He ran toward her and she turned slightly and smiled. He hugged her, pulling her off her feet. She laughed and responded with a I-could-use-some-air look on her face. _I guess that'll be his apology there,_ she thought. He placed her down and regained his composure. Silence. His mind definitely wasn't though. Questions…he ended the silence with the first question that found him.

"How did you end up here?" A reasonable choice.

"It's a very long story…I've been having visions…" _How do you tell a guy his mom told his girlfriend to run away from him so that destiny can unite them again? Not to mention the part where some guy had been living in his garden, and stalked her to kill her?_ "Your…" _Do they use the word mom or mother here?_ "…mother has been giving me visions, which is why I ran from the castle. Van, something will happen. Or already has happened. Your mo…ther had to have you stay in an anonymous place." She stopped to wait for a comment. None. "Therefore she had to make me make you run after me." Van started walking very slowly, almost stiffly to the edge of the balcony, to the stone pillars which held the railing of the balcony up. Looking out, the moons were bright and round. _Bright…that is a bad omen._ Gaea is yet in adversity. Hitomi walked up next to him and stared into his face. He looked up back at her, and simply said, "I left Allen in charge of Fanelia."

Hitomi's mouth dropped open. _When did Allen come to play a part in this? I thought he was still in Asturia!_ "We should tell your mother!" Turning back around, she disappeared into…wherever he came from. He hesitatingly followed her, eyeing his surroundings one more time.

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[Asturia] Millerna walked down the hall toward the grand hall to the king's room, namely her father. She knocks on the doors, and the servant answers, greeting her politely with a bow. "Princess, maybe you can help. His Majesty hasn't talked all morning, and has been muttering blankly about an attack…he's not usually like this." Millerna waved him off with a simple gesture, and acknowledging the command, the servant left the room, leaving just Millerna and him.

"Good morning, Father." She walked over to the bed where he sat with his head down. He looked up and greeted her as usual. _What's so unusual about this? Nothing's wrong…_ There must be something wrong with the servant. Gotta switch the guy. Just to make sure, she had to ask. 

"Are you alright?" She put her hand on his forehead. Nope, no temperature. Normal. Her father laughed and looked up at her. "Why are you worrying about me? I'm old, but I'm not gonna die yet. Is something wrong?" The worried look on her face calmed, and she smiled again. "Don't say such things. Okay, I guess I'll leave you to change." Millerna got up and walked to the door, and he heard a click of the lock. His face changed from expressionless to a cynical smirk. After a few minutes of silence, a female voice in his head speaks. "Attack Fanelia, full troop 25,000 at midnight." The smirk on his face widened into an almost sadistic full grin.

"Yes mistress."


End file.
